Sometimes serious. Sometimes humorous. Always unpredictable. By Dan Pimentel - Welcome to the Airplanista Aviation Blog, where I take a lighthearted look at general and business aviation, the airlines, and the incredible and generous community of aviators called #Avgeeks...they are my aviation family. I am currently available for magazine and corporate writing assignments - Email me here.

3:49 PM

My Real President.

Regular readers of this blog know two things about me. (A) I cannot stand George W. Bush or the lying, corrupt cronies he hangs with, and (B) I am one of the biggest AOPA fans in the state of Oregon.

So I am elated and excited to be traveling up to Portland this coming Thursday to see my real president, Phil Boyer, at one of his Pilot Town Meetings. I’ll post something here on my return and give a report of the meeting and dinner I've been invited to before the main event.

Boyer calls these meetings “learning experiences” for AOPA, in which they can get a real-time grasp of what their “constituents” want and need. Damn, what a concept, people at the top who care about what Joe Kneeboard thinks AOPA ought to do.

And when I say they want “real-time” results, I’m not embellishing:

Boyer's multimedia presentations are fast-paced and high-tech, informative and entertaining. And using new, interactive technology at each meeting, about 50 randomly selected pilots participate in a real-time electronic poll on a variety of issues. The audience sees the results instantly!

Since 1992, Boyer has held Pilot Town Meetings across America, reviewing national developments in GA and engaging pilots on local issues. In more than 330 such meetings, Boyer has set the pace for direct communication with the nation's pilots.

Ask anyone in GA and the opinion of Boyer is always the same. We'd be toast in Washington without his leadership driving AOPA.

AOPA Pilot Town Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are open to all pilots. Admission is FREE. For more information, call 1-800-USA-AOPA or visit their website here. For a calendar of upcoming meetings with President Boyer, click here.

I have exchanged emails with Boyer many times, as he was married and raised his young family right here in Eugene, OR. What always impresses me about him is that he's a regular guy, not some arrogant snob in a Brooks Brothers suit who lives on the golf course and things he's getting shortchanged if he only has two Martinis for lunch.

No, Phil flies a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and at these Town Meetings, he is completely approachable. And you'll get a resounding NO if you ask if he ever plans to run for real office. I asked him that once point blank, and he looked at me very seriously and simply stated that he'll never consider a jump into politics so long as there is work to do at AOPA.